Being a fan of Haste the Day from the near beginning (Burning Bridges was where I picked them up), I was not sure whether or not the band would be ready to do something a little different this time around, especially considering the change in vocalists. Turns out that they decided to stick with the same old thing, adding a new cliché metalcore flavor to the mix. That is by far the largest downfall of the album. The songwriting sounds exactly like every other metalcore band out there these days (with very few exceptions).

Where they go right with the direction they took with Dreamer is the fact that it was executed PERFECTLY. They nailed down the sound to perfection, and it is all perfectly balanced. The album could have been moved around from song to song (the order of the track on the album is a bit strange), but each song sounds great. The new vocalist has the perfect voice for Christian Metalcore, and in my eyes is an improvement from Jimmy Ryan (don't worry, Jimmy, you're still great). I want to make special note of Devin Chaulk's drumming on this album, though. Devin, that shit is TIGHT my friend. Crisp, clear, pounding, etc. Everything you could want in a drum sound for an album is right here (yeah, yeah, argue personal preference all you want).

Being the fact that it is a Christian Metalcore band, putting out a Christian Metalcore album, there is nothing more to be said. It is what it is - like most every other album in that category. At least that did it well, and did it right. It's not a crappy hack job, and you can at least differentiate the sound from the mediocrity that is metalcore these days. A great listen, but nothing groundbreaking.

Track Picks: "68", "Porcelain", and "Haunting"

Overall score: 6.5 out of 10 devil horns

On a passing note, does anyone else think that the opening track sounds eerily like something from As I Lay Dying's newest album, An Ocean Between Us? Creepy...

“Theologists therefore assert, that these two gates are Cancer and Capricorn; but Plato calls them entrances. And of these, theologists say, that Cancer is the gate through which souls descend; but Capricorn that through which they ascend. Cancer is indeed northern, and adapted to descent; but Capricorn is southern, and adapted to ascent (note 12). The northern parts, likewise, pertain to souls descending into generation. And the gates of the cavern which are turned to the north are rightly said to be pervious to the descent of men; but the southern gates are not the avenues of the Gods, but of souls ascending to the Gods. On this account, the poet does not say that they are the avenues of the Gods, but of immortals.”

The above quote seems to attribute the term “Gate” to constellations. In an article entitled Stellar Lore Essay written by Jake Stratton-Kent in 1978, he states the following:
“The zodiac contains the best known constellations, although few could recognise them today almost everyone knows their names. Many can even list them in order, but few can recognise the constellations. They are extremely ancient, Babylon gave them most of their present definitions, but obtained their knowledge of them from the 'pre-Polaris' astronomy of the Sumerians. Amongst the oldest constellations are Cancer and Capricorn, curiously enough, for they are very vague and unspectacular constellations even through a telescope. These anciently represented the Summer and Winter Solstices. In Chaldean (ie Babylonian) astronomical lore Cancer was called the 'Gate of Men', the entrance point for souls seeking incarnation in human bodies. Capricorn was called 'the Gate of the Gods' by which souls passed into Heaven.”
The passage quoted above written by Jake Stratton-Kent, also identifies the term “Gate” with a zodiac constellation. It even states that the ‘entrance point into the Chaldean/Babylonian rites started with the Gate of Men, represented by Cancer whose planetary symbol is the Moon (NANNA). Actually the entrance point and exit points align perfectly with those given in the Simon Necronomicon. If we begin looking at the corresponding constellation to each “Gate” we can begin to unravel the creation epic listed in the Magan Text.
We listed earlier the Seven Gates in the process of initiation. Now we will compare these Gates to their corresponding constellations and also see how the relate to the Magan Text. The SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL TO 777 lists these correspondences.
The First Gate is NANNA (the moon). The Moon rules the constellation of Cancer. Cancer is attributed the SNAKE in the Simon Necronomicon. This relates well to the opening passages of the MAGAN TEXT:
“When on High the Heavens had not been named,
The Earth had not been named,
And Naught existed but the Seas of ABSU,
The Ancient One,
And MUMMU TIAMAT, the Ancient One”
The Simon Necronomicon on page 183 refers to TIAMAT, as the ‘Old Serpent.’ We can now begin to see that the path of GateWalking is actually serpentine in nature, as the Gates are walked in the reverse direction of the Sun’s path through the zodiac. NANNA is where we begin to encounter the liers-in-wait or serpents.
The Second Gate is NEBO. NEBO (Mercury) rules the constellation of Gemini, which is attributed to the Viper in the Simon Necronomicon. Notice how this relates to the MAGAN TEXT creation epic:
“ABSU rose up to slay the Elder Gods by stealth.
With magick charm and spell ABSU fought,
But was slain by the sorcery of the Elder Gods”
The INVOCATION OF THE NEBO GATE on page 54 states:
“Lord NEBO who does not know of Thy Magick?”
Interestingly, Absu fought with charm and spell. This is one aspect that we become aware of in the Nebo Gate, the art of illusion and how we deceive ourselves and have been deceived by others.
Thirdly, we come to the Gate of Ishtar. ISHTAR (Venus) rules the constellation of Taurus, which is attributed to KINGU. Interestingly, Taurus is depicted as a Bull and it is considered Lunar as its horns were used as a symbol of the crescent moon. However, we have already discussed in our Mountains of MASSHU series, that the horns of the Bull also symbolized the two lips of the vulva in the great tantric rites. It is at this point in the Gatewalkers path that we are at odds with Ishtar, in the same way Gilgamesh was attacked by Ishtar when she threw down the “Bull of Heaven” at him. This sphere of Ishtar is where our eyes begin to open up, and we begin to experience a glimpse of the deeper worlds. Yet it is also within this space that a part of us dies much like Gilgamesh’s companion Enkidu. Something is loss, or we may experience some ordeal in our romantic areas of life, maybe family.  The MAGAN Text states the following:
“Charmed with the spells of ancient sorcery,
withal Eleven of this kind she brought forth
With KINGU as Leader of the Minions.”
Fourthly, we come to SHAMMASH. Some may wonder about this placement as it would seem to conflict with the Walking since Aries precedes Taurus and we are walking in the converse order to the Sun’s path, However, we should remember that gates are divided into two sections, the preliminary spheres and the outer spheres. SHAMMASH is the judge that stands in the middle of the scales. In the mythos ENKI AND THE WORLD ORDER translated by S. N. Kramer, Enki places UTU (SHAMMASH) is charge of the Universe:
“The hero, the bull who bursts out of the hasur-forest,
who roars like a lion,
the valiant Utu, the firm-standing bull
who proudly emblazons his power,
father of the great city,
the place where the sun rises,
the great herald of holy An,
the judge, the one who makes decisions for the gods,
who has tied a beard of lapis lazuli,
who blazes out in holy heaven
out of the horizon,
Utu, son of Ningal,
Enki placed in charge of the universe in its entirety.”
The Simon Necronomicon also warns us against remaining in the preliminary stages of the work. SHAMMASH divides the inner spheres, which have no satellites, from the outer spheres which do possess satellites. SHAMMASH corresponds to the constellation of Leo which is attributed LAKHARMU (LADY OF THE BATTLES) in the Simon Necronomicon. How appropriate is the title Lady of Battles (LAKHARMU), as we find ourselves after having slain the “Bull” or KINGU now preparing to battle TIAMAT herself, as stated in the Simon Necronomicon on page 157:
“He armed himself with the Disc of Power
In chariots of Fire he went forth
With a shouting Voice he called the Spell
With a Blazing Flame he filled his Body
Dragons, Vipers, all fell down
Lions, Horse-Men, all were slain.
The Mighty Creatures of HUBUR were slain
The Spells, the Charms, the Sorcery were broken.
Naught but TIAMAT remained.”
The above passage describes the Initiate’s transition from the preliminary spheres to the outer spheres, which SHAMMASH divides. Let us now see if the Initiate’s converse course through the constellations of the zodiac line up with the MAGAN TEXT.
Fifthly, we now resume our course through the spheres where we reach NERGAL.  NERGAL (Mars) is the ruler of the constellation of Aries, which is attributed to XUBUR. It is interesting to note that the term “AGRU” appears next to “XUBUR” is the attribute of Aries as given on page xli in the Simon Necronomicon. Let us now examine the term AGRU to gain further insights into the Walking.
The term “AGRU” is an Akkadian term that means the ‘hired man’ or ‘hireling’. It is from the Sumerian term Lu-Hun-Ga. In the book Babylonian Starlore, written by Gavin White, the author gives us further insight into how these terms relate to the discussion at hand. On page 129 Gavin White makes the following observation:
“The Lu-sign is a stylized figure of a man; it is commonly used before a person’s name to convey the idea of a ‘profession.’ In this sense it may be translated as ‘freeman of professional’ as oppose to a bondman.
The Sumerian compound Hun-ga can be read in Akkadian as agaru – ‘to hire or rent’ something or someone. So the name as a whole can be translated as the ‘Hired Man.’
But the word “lu” can also signify a sheep, and the Hun-ga compound can be used to write the Akkadian words nahu – to rest, be still; to appease of placate’, and nasu – ‘to lift or carry away’ – the name can also be understood as ‘the ‘sheep of appeasement’ “
White goes on to mention later in the writing how the term ‘sheep’ and ‘wild sheep ‘ lead to the modern association of Aries with the ram. However, it is interesting to note what god is attributed to the Hired Man, as defined by the term AGRU. He writes further on page 131:
“The regent of the Hired Man is the shepherding god Dumuzi – ‘the true child’ and ‘rightful son’. He is one earliest and most popular gods known in Mesopotamia..,”
This sheds some very interesting analogies within our discussion. It actually sheds more light into our discussion as the ‘Hired Man’ is none other than the god Dumuzi. We can liken the path of the GateWalker to that of Dumuzi. Interestingly, Dumuzi translates to ‘true son’ in Sumerian. If we were to read the Babylonian creation epic as it appears in the Enuma Elish and in the Simon Necronomicon as if it were Dumuzi’s rise from the Underworld, there are many similarities. It also explains why on page 157 of the Simon Necronomicon as we have quoted above, Marduk is described as the “Child of Wisdom and the Word.”  It also becomes evident that as we progress through the Gates we gain aspects of each of the Gate Gods, as shown by the path of Marduk. It is within the Gate of NERGAL that we gain true will. We are able to focus and work with defending ourselves by fighting the God of war himself. In the book Dawn of Astronomy written by J Norman Lockyer in 1894, he states the following under the subtitle; The God of Eridu page 372:

“Let us assume that the earliest sun-god traced at Eridu  was the sun-god of those early argonauts  who founded the colony.

We are told that this god was the son of Ia, and that his name was Tammuz; he was in some way associated with Asari (Osiris) (Sayce, p. 144), who according to Jensen represented the Earth (p. 195); of the Moon, we apparently hear nothing.

This Tammuz (Dumuzi), we find, ultimately became “the Nergal of  Southern Chaldea, the sun-god of winter and night, who rules, like Rhadamanthos,  in the lower world.” (Sayce  p. 245), and as lord of Hades he was made son of Mullil.. This was at first. But what do we find afterwards?

Nergal is changed to the Midsummer sun!  And finally he is changed into the Spring Sun Marduk at Babylon where he is recognized as the son of Ia…,however difficult it may be to follow these changes from the religious point of view, from the astronomical they are not only easily explained, but might have been predicted..,”

The above quote is further proof that our analysis of the GateWalking initiation is supported by anthropologists. This also shows us that the Ancient Ones depicted in the Simon Necronomicon are actually the darker aspects of the Elder Gods. The Elder Gods reveal these darker aspects of themselves through the Initiate’s initiation and during judgment of the Land of the Dead. We also learn something new about the relationship between Ishtar and Dumuzi. After reviewing the past information about Dumuzi, we find that Dumuzi is Nergal. So Dumuzi spends six months in the aspect of Ishtar’s lover Dumuzi, which translates to our workings as Marduk, and then six months as Ereshkigal’s lover Nergal. This was the treaty made since Ishtar was partly responsible for the death of Eresgkigal’s first husband Gugalanna. Some accounts of Ishtar’s Descent to the Underworld, state that when Ishtar is asked ‘why she is visiting the Underworld? - Her response is something to the effect of seeing about the death of her brother-in-law, which would have been Gulgalanna.

Sixthly, we come to the Gate of MARDUK. MARDUK (Jupiter) rules the constellation of Pisces. The correspondence for the term Pisces in the Simon Necronomicon on page xlii is DILGANU RIKIS NUNI (WEAPON). This perfectly fits into our next phase of initiation as described in the MAGAN Text’s version of the Enuma Elish, as found on pages 156-157 of the Simon Necronomicon:

“MARDUK struck with the Disc of Power
Blinded TIAMAT's Eyes of Death
The Monster heaved and raised its back
Struck forth in all directions
Spitting ancient words of Power
Screamed the ancient incantations
MARDUK struck again and blew
An Evil Wind into her body
Which filled the raging, wicked Serpent
MARDUK shot between her jaws
The Charmed arrow of ENKI's Magick
MARDUK struck again and severed
The head of TIAMAT from its body…”

We can see from the above passage how the Initiate, who is following in the steps of Marduk, is able to defeat the monstrous forces within him, by use of the weapon, or Disc of Power.

The Disc of Power is indeed working with the Fire God.  The Fire God’s conjuration on page 65 includes the following statement:

“Rise up, Offspring of the Golden Weapon of MARDUK!”

Lenorant also gives us evidence of a Fire God conjuration relationship to MARDUK. On page 27, he speaks of the importance of the Fire God and it use in the Ancient Chaldean working:

“Acting thus contrary to the normal course of nature, and the regular movement of the stars, these spirits inhabited the depths of the earth, they caused its tremblings,.., Their antagonist was “The god Fire” who elevates himself, the great chief who extends the supreme power of the god of heaven…,”

The Simon Necronomicon also mentions the following words, as it introduces the Book of Calling:
“This is the Book of the Priest, who governeth the Works of Fire!”
This is very interesting for the Book of Calling uses the term ‘Priests of Flames’ to describe the principles behind the workings in the Simon Necronomicon, one which we shall now consider on a deeper level-The gate of Ganzir.

THE GATE OF GANZIR
Although it is not listed in the progression of Gates, for it is an entrance into the darker side of the Netherworld, we must include the workings of GANZIR to get a clearer understanding of the other Gates themselves. The Simon Necronomicon on pages 47-48 mentions the following:
“Thou mayest not call upon NANNA till thou hast passed the Gate of NANNA. Thou mayest not call NEBO until his Gate hast thou passed. Similarly for the rest of the Gates. When thou hast ascended to the limit of the Ladder of Lights, thou wilt have knowledge and power over the Spheres, and wilt be able to summon them thereby in times of need.
This will not give thee power over the ABSU, however, this power being obtained differently by the Ritual of Descent. This Ritual thou wilt undertake in the fifteenth day after the thirteenth of the month when thou hast summoned the Gate of MARDUK to open. For MARDUK slew the Fiends, and INANNA, the Goddess of the Fifteen, conquered the Netherworld, where some of theirs still dwell. This is a most perilous Rite, and may be undertaken by any man who as the formulae, whether he has passes the previous Gates or not, save that it is best advised to have passed through MARDUK Gate before venturing forth into the Pit.”
The above passage raises some interesting perspectives within the context of our discussion. It seems very simple in some aspects that all one has to do is to walk Ganzir and conquer the Underworld in order to move on to ADAR and the Gates beyond. Yet is also raises a question as to why one has to wait until he reaches MARDUK. The answer to this question establishes the identity as to who MARDUK really is?; And also increases our understanding of the Gates themselves. The following passage establishes some of MARDUK’S identity:
“Professor Pinches asserts (cited in Donald A. Mackenzie's Myths of Babylonia and Assyria [The Gresham Publishing Co. Inc., London, 1915]) that the name Nimrod is derived from the Sumerian Merodach, the Babylonian Marduk, and that they are possibly one in the same”
The Jewish Encyclopedia makes this observation:
“Two prominent theories are now held in regard to Nimrod's identity: one, adopted by G. Smith and Jeremias, is that Nimrod is to be identified with the Babylonian hero Izdubar or Gishdubar (Gilgamesh); the second, that of Sayce,Pinches, and others, identifies Nimrod with Marduk, the Babylonian Mercury. The former identification is based on the fact that Izdubar is represented in the Babylonian epos as a mighty hunter, always accompanied by four dogs, and as the founder of the first great kingdom in Asia. Moreover, instead of "Izdubar"—the correct reading of which had not yet been determined—Jeremias saw the possibility of reading "Namra Udu" (shining light), a reading which would have made the identification with Nimrod almost certain. Those who identify Nimrod with Marduk, however, object that the name of Izdubar must be read, as is now generally conceded, "Gilgamesh," and that the signs which constitute the name of Marduk, who also is represented as a hunter, are read phonetically "Amar Ud"; and ideographically they may be read "Namr Ud"—in Hebrew "Nimrod." The difficulty of reconciling the Biblical Nimrod, the son of Cush, with Marduk, the son of Ea, may be overcome by interpreting the Biblical words as meaning that Nimrod was a descendant of Cush.”
The analogies and comparisons asserting that Nimrod was indeed MARDUK, yet I also found some other interesting aspects in my research listed below:
“Local associations with his original seat -- Kutha -- and the conception formed of him as a god of the dead acted in making him feared rather than actively worshipped. Nergal was also called Ni-Marad in Akkadian. Like Lugal Marad in Sumerian, the name means "king of Marad," a city, whose name means "Rebellion" in Akkadian, as yet unidentified. The name Ni-Marad, in Akkadian means "Lord of Marad". The chief deity of this place, therefore, seems to have been Nergal, of whom, therefore, Lugal-Marad or Ni-Marad is another name. Thus, some scholars have drawn the connection of Ni-Marad being yet another deified name for Nimrod, the rebel king of Babylon and Assyria mentioned in Genesis 10: 8-11.”
Legend of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg states the following:
“The name Zer-Nebo-Gus is almost pure Chaldee, and seems to unfold itself as denoting "The seed of the prophet Cush." We have seen reason already to conclude that, under the name Bel, as distinguished from Baal, Cush was the great soothsayer or false prophet worshipped at Babylon. But independent inquirers have been led to the conclusion that Bel and Nebo were just two different titles for the same god, and that a prophetic god. Thus does Kitto comment on the words of
Isaiah 46:1 "Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth," with reference to the latter name: "The word seems to come from Nibba, to deliver an oracle, or to prophesy; and hence would mean an 'oracle,' and may thus, as Calmet suggests ('Commentaire Literal'), be no more than another name for Bel himself, or a characterising epithet applied to him; it being not unusual to repeat the same thing, in the same verse, in equivalent terms." "Zer-Nebo-Gus," the great "seed of the prophet Cush," was, of course, Nimrod; for Cush was Nimrod's father.
There was another way in which Nimrod's power was symbolised besides by the "horn." A synonym for Gheber, "The mighty one," was "Abir," while "Aber" also signified a "wing."
Nimrod, as Head and Captain of those men of war, by whom he surrounded himself, and who were the instruments of establishing his power, was "Baal-aberin," "Lord of the mighty ones." But "Baal-abirin" (pronounced nearly in the same way) signified "The winged one," * and therefore in symbol he was represented, not only as a horned bull, but as at once a horned and winged bull--as showing not merely that he was mighty himself,”
From the above quotes we have the Biblical King Nimrod  identified with at least three of the Gate deities, NEBO, NERGAL, and MARDUK. If all of these were different titles for Nimrod, then just who was Nimrod anyway?
Indopedia adds the following definition to Nimrod:
“Nimrod is credited with building the Tower of Babel in order to establish his own cult. Historians have linked the Biblical name with Ninnu (with the epithet Enmersi) of the city of Lagash and subsequently also to EnmerKar of Uruk; Ningirsu of the early dynastic Sumerians; Asar son of Enki of The Sumerians of Eridu and subsequently the Egyptian Osiris Asshur and Phoenician Rashap & Canaanite Reshpu (thus also the constellation Orion); Baal; and the Assyrian Ninurta -while the Babylonians obviously linked him with the Mesopotanian deity Marduk the Sumerian Dumuzi and the Mesopotamian king Ninus of Greek legend husband of Semiramis. 'Nimrod' is translated 'Nebrod' in the Septuagint. He is later attributed to Zoroaster by Clementine: "Of this family there was born in due time a certain one, who took up with magical practices, by name Nebrod, who chose, giant-like, to devise things in opposition to God. Him the Greeks have called Zoroaster."

Here we can see Nimrod is compared with Dumuzi. This would mean then that on some level the whole GateWalking process is the Sacred Marriage Rite, which we discussed thoroughly in our Mountain of MASSHU series. Each Gate God that appears after SHAMMASH represents an aspect of Dumuzi and how he became King of the Underworld. This would then explain why ISHTAR sent Dumuzi to the Underworld, as it was a part of the Necronmantic rites whereby he became Lord of the Underworld. Peter Goodgame makes the following observation:
“The epics of Dumuzi principally concern themselves with the underworld into which the Sumerian king and partner of the goddess Inanna/Ishtar descended to become god of the dead. But this Dumuzi was much more than a local Sumerian hero. He became the Canaanite deity Tammuz, worshipped by the women of Jerusalem in the 6th century BC — a blasphemy so abhorred by the prophet Ezekiel ... [Ezekiel 8:14-15].
The Simon Necronomicon states the following in the Book of Calling:
“Know, fourthly, that it is become the obligation of the Priests of the Flame and the Sword, and of all Magick, to bring their Power to the Underworld and keep it chained thereby, for the Underworld is surely the Gate Forgotten, by which the Ancient Ones ever seek Entrance to the Land of the Living, And the Ministers of ABSU are clearly walking the Earth, riding on the Air, and upon the Earth, and sailing silently through the Water, and roaring in the Fire, and all these Spirits must be brought to subjection to the Person of the Priest of Magick, before any else. Or the Priest becomes prey to the Eye of Death of the Seven ANNUNNAKI, Lord of the Underworld, Ministers of the Queen of Hell.”
This means then that in the GateWalking the first three spheres represents the Love and Courtship between ISHTAR and DUMUZI. The sphere that follow SHAMMASH would represent Dumuzi’s conquest of the Underworld, Dumuzi as the aspect of MARDUK would thus represent him as King and having achieved this status, the Initiate like Dumuzi as King, was then sent down to conquer the Underworld. Therefore, we are advised to walk Ganzir after MARDUK is similar manner as to how Dumuzi became Lord of the Underworld. This makes perfect sense as ISHTAR is the Goddess of Love and War.
Some may take offense to the correlations between Nimrod and Dumuzi, but we should also keep in mind that I have reminded the GateWalker to be cautious about applying Judeo-Christian interpretations to our workings. It has been clearly evident by reviewing some of our previous material that there was indeed opposition to the Chaldean path by founders of the Church. I will write more in the future about Nimrod and his role in the workings of the Simon Necronomicon. Below is a quote from Albert G. Mackey concerning Nimrod’s role in the History of Freemasonry:
“THE universal sentiment of the Masons of the present day is to confer upon Solomon, King of Israel, the honor of being their "first Grand Master." But the Legend of the Craft had long before, though there was a tradition of the temple extant, bestowed, at least by implication, that title upon Nimrod, the King of Babylonia and Assyria. It had attributed the first organization of a fraternity of craftsmen to him, in saying that he gave a charge to the workmen whom he sent to asist the King of Nineveh in building his cities. That is to say, he framed for them a Constitution, and, in the words of the Legend, "this was the first tyme that ever Masons had any charge of his science." It was the first time that the Craft were organized into a fraternity working under a Constitution or body of laws; and as Nimrod was the autocratic maker of these laws, it results as a necessary consequence, that their first legislator, legislating with dictatorial and unrestricted sovereign power, was also their first Grand Master…..Josephus portrays him as a tyrant in his government of his people, vainglorious of his great power, a despiser and hater of God, and instigated by this feeling, the builder of a tower through which he would avenge himself on God for having destroyed the world.
For this view of the character of Nimrod, Josephus was in an probability indebted to the legends of the orientalists, which had clustered around the name of Nimrod, just as in ancient times legends always did cluster around great and mighty men.
Thus in the ancient chronicles he was represented as of gigantic stature, ten or twelve cubits in height. To him was attributed the invention of idolatry, and he is said to have returned to Chaldea after the destruction of the Tower of Babel, and to have persuaded the inhabitants to become fire-worshippers. He built a large furnace and commanded that all who refused the idolatrous worship should be cast into it. Among his victims were Abraham or Abram, the patriarch, and his father Terah. The latter was consumed, but the former by the interposition of a miracle came out unhurt. It is hardly necessary to say that such legends are altogether mythical and of no historical value……..The Izdubar legends, as Mr. Smith has called the inscriptions on these tablets, represent Nimrod as a mighty leader, a man of great prowess in war and in hunting, and who by his ability and valor had united many of the petty kingdoms into which the whole of the valley of the Euphrates was at that time divided, and thus established the first empire in Asia. 2He was, in fact, the hero of the ancient
1 The late George Smith, of the British Museum, the author of "Assyrian Discoveries," of the "Chaldean Account of Genesis," and many other writings in which he has eNen the learned result of his investigations of the cuneiform inscriptions. 2Smith, "Chaldean Account of Genesis," p. 174.
Babylonians, and therefore it was only natural that they should consecrate the memory of him who as a powerful and beneficent king had first given them that unity which secured their prosperity as a nation. “

Seventhly, we come to the Gate of NINIB called ADAR. NINIB (Saturn) is ruler of the sign of Aquarius during Ancient times. (Later, Uranus was given as the ruling planet for the constellation of Aquarius.) The Simon Necronomicon defines Aquarius as GULA or HORNED BEAST.
Interestingly, NINIB is a very old Sumerian rendering of the name Ninurta, also Ningirsu. It seems that at this Gate the initiate reaches the capstone of the teachings and has acquired true androgynous for the term “nin” often denotes “lady” in this case it applies to the male god NINIB, even his other aspects begin with the prefix “nin.” (Ninurta, Ningirsu) This androgyny is further expressed by the name of the constellation which is given for Aquarius- “GULA”, which happen to be the consort of Ninurta.
The following is an excerpt from an article written by Johanna Stuckey in her work entitled “Going to the Dogs”: Healing Goddesses of Mesopotamia:

Mesopotamia's goddess of healing par excellence was Gula, patron of physicians, whose name, actually a title, means "The Great One" (Black and Green 2003:101). Obviously the epithet displaced the original and now-lost divine name. She was also known as "Great Mother," "Mother Gula," and "Lady of Life." She was the daughter of An/Anu. Her consort, depending on the city, was the storm god Nin-urta, the warrior Nin-Girsu, or Pabil-sag, Lord of Isin. Her seven children included the healing god Damu, who was worshipped at Isin, and Nin-azu, god of both healing and the Underworld. Like other healing deities, Gula also inflicted disease.
Gula was much invoked in healing rituals and incantations, by which those who were ill begged her assistance. They also used prayer-letters. Honored in hymns, she was sometimes invoked in law codes and treaties. At least one treaty addressed her as the great physician (Reiner in Pritchard 1969: 534). Babylonian king Nabonidus (Nabu-na'id) who reigned 555-539 BCE, dreamed of the goddess "who restores the health of the dead(ly sick) and bestows long life." He prayed for "lasting life for [him]self and that she might turn her face towards [him]." Then she "looked steadily upon [him] with her shining face (thus) indicating (her) mercy" (Oppenheim in Pritchard 1969: 310). Gula's worship certainly lasted a long time, its longevity undoubtedly indicating her efficacy in helping people.
Her main cult center was Isin, where she was identified with Nin-Isina, and resided in the great healing temple E-gal-makh "Exalted Palace" (George 1993: 88 #318). She also had temples in most other cities, with three at Babylon! Festivals of Gula are attested for a number of places. At Umma, Gula received an offering of a sheep, and her statue was carried in a procession. Throughout the land in Assyrian times, celebrations of Nin-urta's victory over the monster Anzu bird were marked by foot races. One document identifies a dog running about as "a messenger" from Gula (Cohen 1993: 333-334).” Gula is also known as Bau. Since one aspect of GULA was that of a healer, the Initiates who are able to reach the Gate of NINIB have acquired the gift of healing as well as, being a skillful warrior. We can see this when we examine an aspect of NINIB known as Ninurta.
Ninurta often appears holding a bow and arrow and a mace named Sharur to which he speaks when attacking the monster Imdugud, and which answers back. Sometimes he stands on a composite creature with a lion's body or a scorpion's tail in pursuit of Imdugued, who was a winged lion with feet and tail of a bird as well.

In one story Ninurta battles such a monster called Imdugud (Akkadian Anzu). In what may be an alternate version another text relates how the monster Anzu steals the Tablet of Destinies which Enlil requires to maintain his rule. Ninurta slays each of the monsters later known as the "Slain Heroes" (the Dragon, the Gypsum, the Palm Tree King, Lord Saman-ana, the bison-beast, the scorpion-man, the seven-headed serpent), and finally Anzu is eventually killed by Ninurta who delivers the Tablet to his father, Enlil. This would well apply to the final stages of battle as described in the Simon Necronomicon on page 158:

“MARDUK
Victor
Took the Tablets of Destiny
Unbidden
Hung them around his neck.
Acclaimed of the Elder Gods was he.
First among the Elder Ones was he.
He split the sundered TIAMAT in twain
And fashioned the heavens and the earth,
With a Gate to keep the Ancient Ones Without.
With a Gate whose Key is hid forever
Save to the Sons of MARDUK
Save to the Followers of Our Master
ENKI
First in Magick among the Gods”

Now that we have learned that the Simon Necronomicon’s version of the Enuma Elish, and the Enuma Elish itself is actually a step by step guide to the Gatewalking Process, we can now compare our discoveries with the Simon Necronomicon’s version of INNANA’S Descent called the Sleep of Ishtar. Notice that this epic is entitled the Sleep of Ishtar, as it suggests that the process that Ishtar went through is indeed how we are truly able to gain awareness. Now let us look at our comparision

1-NANNA GATE:  CANCER SHITTU (SNAKE)
Notice the terms that ISHTAR uses to address the Watcher of the First Gate, as taken from the Simon Necronomicon of page 170:
“At the First Gate
NINGHIZHIDDA removed the Crown
The Great Crown of Her head he took away
And ISHTAR asked
Why, Serpent, has thou removed my First Jewel? “
We can see that at the first Gate ISHTAR calls the Watcher by the term Serpent. This confirms our findings at the first gate- NANNA.
2- NEBO GATE: GEMINI -RE’U KINU SHAME U TU’AME RABUTI (VIPER)
Notice how ISHTAR now addresses NINGHIZHIDDA at the Second Gate:
“And the Second Gate
NINNGHIZHIDDA removed the Wand
The Wand of Lapis Lazuli he took away
And ISHTAR asked
Why, NETI, has thou removed my Second Jewel? “
Here we see ISHTAR referring to NINGHZHIDDA as NETI. NETI is the Scribe of Kur just like NEBO represents a class of Scribes. Another name for NETI is GIZZIDA, which has serpent associations and also is another name for NINGHZHIDDA meaning that NETI and NINGHZHIDDA are the same character. Yet is is interesting to not that the aspect GIZZIDA is used in the famous epic where ADAPA meets ANU. GIZZIGA, though an Underworld deity, is standing guard with DUMUZI, another Underworld deity, at the gate of ANU’s palace. This shows us that the Underworld is the otherworld or astral realm, and refers not only to GANZIR, but to the entire realm beyond the five senses.
3- ISHTAR GATE:  TAURUS  -KAKKABU ALAP SHAME (KINGU)
Notice what is removed from ISHTAR when she approaches the Third Gate:
“At the Third Gate
NINNGHIZHIDDA removed the Jewels
The Jewels around her neck he took away
And ISHTAR asked
Why, Gatekeeper, has thou removed my Third Jewel”
The third Jewel was hung around the neck. This is where the Tablets of Destiny hung from. We can make this assumption since it is said that ‘MARDUK hung them around his neck.’ Therefore, they must have hung around the neck of KINGU, as it was a gift from TIAMAT to her consort. This affirms are conclusion thus far on the path of GATEWALKING are correct.
4- SHAMMASH GATE:  LEO –KALBU RABU (LAKHAMU)
As we discussed earlier the reason why SHAMMASH is a divider and bridge between the Inner and Outer Gates, it is interesting to notice how ISHTAR addresses NINGHIZHIDDA at the Fourth Gate:
“At the Fourth Gate
NINGHIZHIDDA removed the Jewels
The Jewels on her breast he took away
And ISHTAR asked
Why, Guardian of the Outer, has thou removed my Fourth Jewel?”
The above passage lines up perfectly with our findings in the Simon Necronomicon’s version of the creation epic. Here ISHTAR is said to have referred to NINGHIZHIDDA as the Guardian of the Outer, which SHAMMASH does indeed separate the Inner Gates from the Outer Gates
5- NERGAL GATE:  ARIES –AGRU (XUBUR)
We have discussed numerous times that NERGAL is ruler of the Underworld. This is also echoed in ISHTAR’s response as she is now at the Fifth Gate:
“At the Fifth Gate
NINNGHIZHIDDA removed the Jewels
The Belt of Jewels around her hips he took away
And ISHTAR asked
Why, Watcher of the Forbidden Entrance, hast thou removed my Fifth Jewel? “
The term Watcher of the Forbidden Entrance is a proper adjective to describe the kingdom that NERGAL rules and also affirms that our synopsis of the creation epic in the Simon Necronomicon is indeed correct.

6- MARDUK PISCES DILGANU RIKIS NUNI (WEAPON)
W discussed earlier what this weapon was, as it pertained to fire, but we also learn something else as far as what the weapon was based on how ISHTAR responded to NINNGHIZIDDA at the Sixth Gate:
“At the Sixth Gate
NINNGHIZHIDDA removed the Jewels
The Jewels around her wrists
And the Jewels around her ankles he took away.
And ISHTAR asked
Why, NINNKIGAL, hast thou removed my Sixth Jewel?”
Here ISHTAR uses the name NINNKIGAL, which is derived from NINKIGAL. NINKIGAL is the goddess of the Underworld, possibly another reference to ERESHKIGAL. We are told in the Etruscan Roman Remains the following:
“Begoe," as we are told (History of Etruria, by Mrs. Hamilton Gray) "slew an ox simply by whispering in its ear the fearful name of the Highest." This I think refers to lightning. "The highest and most irresistible of all the powers dwells in the divine and mysterious name–"the supreme name," with which Hea alone is acquainted. Before this name everything bows in heaven and in earth and in Hades, and it alone can conquer the Maskin (evil spirits), and stop their ravages. "Awe her(Ninkigal) with the names of the great gods" (Fox Talbot, cited in Lenormant, Magie Chaldaienne)”
From the above quote, we can see that the greatest weapon against the “Queen of the Underworld” is actually the names of the ‘great gods.’
The Simon Necronomicon makes the following statement on page 123:
“MARDUK was chosen of the Elders to fight KUR and wrest power from the Great Sleeping Serpent who dwells beneath the Mountains of the Scorpion. MARDUK was given a weapon, and a Sign, and Fifty Powers were given to him to fight the awful TIAMAT, and each Power has its weapon and its Sign and these are the mightiest possessions of the Elder Gods against the Ancient One who threatens Without, who threatens from the Abyss,”
The above quote clearly indicates that indeed the names of the Great Gods were given to MARDUK to battle the Dragon. Thus, we find this ability is removed from the Initiate as was ISHTAR, which is evidenced by the citing of the name NINKIGAL. NINKIGAL’s name is mentioned at the Sixth Gate since she could be defeated with the same weapons that were givien to MARDUK are now being stripped away. This would explain why the nature of how the Fifty Names work, change when the initiate begins to Walk the Gates.
7- NINIB (ADAR) GATE:  AQUARIUS GULA (HORNED BEAST)
Here is an excerpt taken from the INVOCATION OF THE NINIB GATE, as found on page 60 in the Simon Necronomicon:
“NINIB Knower of the ways of the Ancient Ones, Remember!”
Now let us notice how ISHTAR entreats NINNGHZIDDA at the Seventh Gate:
“At the Seventh Gate
NINNGHIZHIDDA removed the Jewels
The Jewelled Robes of ISHTAR he took away.
ISHTAR, without protection, without safety,
ISHTAR, without talisman or amulet, asked
Why, Messenger of the Ancient Ones, hast thou removed my Seventh Jewel?”
This falls perfectly in line with our synopsis and analysis of the creation epic as found in the Simon Necronomicon is actually part of the Initiation Process. This is something that only a worker of the Simon Necronomicon has been able to identify, yet anthropologist, critics, such as Dan Clore, still remain baffled as to the meaning of the Enuma Elish. Thre are still a few things that we should add here.
From the section in the MAGAN TEXT entitled Of the sleep of ISHTAR, we learn that we must first walk the Gates from NANNA to NINIB, then we are to work with the URILLA TEXT. Next we are to walk the Gates in reverse in order to reinvent ourselves. We then find ourselves in the Land of Ki, or we should walk the Gate of KIA )NINHURSAG), from their we take our position with the ‘ASTRAL GODS’, which we are offered the cup of immortality.
The ASTRAL GODS are reached by walking the Gates of ENKI, ENLIL, and ANU.
There is much more that I will include about the other aspects of the MAGAN TEXT in a future issue

WARLOCK ASYLUM (The Dark Knight)

David Nelson, Adorning Our Savior's Teaching: How the Gospel Matters for Public Life (liveblog)

Andy Davis, Babylon: An Ancient Assessment of a Present Reality (liveblog)

C. Ben Mitchell, Remaking the Future: The Looming Challenge of Resurgent Islam and Evolving Transhumanism (liveblog)

Greg Thornbury, Marriage: If Not Sacred - What? (liveblog)

Nathan Finn: The Pulpit and the Public Square: Some Observations from the Ministry of Charles Haddon Spurgeon (liveblog)

Ken Fentress's message will be posted shortly.

We’ve been looking at the “fuzzy” sections of the scriptures. The 1000 year blank that most Christians draw from Solomon to Matthew. The dominant story of this period is one of rebellion and exile – and hope (but one birthed as slaves in a foreign land).

Which carries me back to the 15 churches I pass every morning (and twice on Sundays).

When God called his people out of Egypt, he called them out “in the sight of all the nations.” He rescued his people to show the world what he is like. He gave them his law to show the world how humanity was created to live. He led them in a cloud and pillar to announce to the nations that “the LORD, he is God.”

Then the people got to the land of promise and the light that was for the nations turned inward. What was given to the Jews for all people was closeted away, placed in a temple, protected by armies and borders and a king.

One of the reasons the prophets give for the exile of the Jews into Babylon was that they failed to serve their purpose – they failed to live their lives publicly to the world, to be a light to the nations.

Isaiah 60 says it so emphatically (read this outloud and with a strong voice for the impact): “Arise! Shine! For your light has come and the Glory of God rises upon you! Don’t you see that darkness covers the earth? Terrifying darkness covers all peoples? But the LORD rises upon you! His Glory appears over you! Nations will come to your light and kings to the brightness of the dawn!”

Paul takes up this theme and hinges it upon Jesus: “Do everything,” he says to the Phillipians, “so that you may become the children of God – shining like stars in the universe.” Again he says to the Ephesians: “You were once in darkness, but now you are in the light of Jesus. Walk, live, act like children of light!”

So again I tell you, I pass 15 churches every morning. Which makes me ask a question: Are we being faithful to our mission? Are we shining the light to all the world; living, walking, working acting like the children of light? Or are we placing mirrors around ourselves and shining only inwardly?

Maybe I can put this another way. Is the church looking merely to become better, faster, fitter, greener, cleaner, and more efficient? Are we spending all of our time energy and resources making sure that we’re ok? Have we forgotten what it means to be lights in the darkness?

There are 15 churches on my route – and yet, aside from Sundays, they’re always dark.

Flash back with me 2000 years or so to a man named Simeon. Simeon waited his whole life for the promise of God to come to pass – for God’s anointed, his Messiah, to come into the world. And when in his age he sees the infant Jesus consecrated at the temple, he begins to sing:

Lord, as you have promised, let me rest now in peace.
For my own eyes (right before me and not in some prophecy) have seen your salvation
Which you have prepared to be a light – a light to all the nations
A light for Gentiles, a light for Jews, a light for all peoples.
The Glory of all your people!

Maybe for you, you find yourself still in exile – still hoping, like slaves in a foreign land, for rescue. Waiting for an infant Messiah to carry new light into the darkness – shining through your hearts.

Sing it again: “For we have seen your salvation which you have prepared to be a light – a light to all the nations. A light for old people. A light for young people. A light for gays. A light for the poor. A light for the alcoholics. A light for the divorcees. A light for the pregnant teenagers. A light for the desperate businessman. A light! Shining! Your glory has come!”

Plot:
Veteran-turned-mercenary Thoorop takes the high-risk job of escorting
a woman from Russia to America. Little does he know that she is host
to an organism that a cult wants to harvest in order to produce
a genetically modified Messiah.

Click here to download

“kur9, ku4: n., entrance (ki,'place', + ùr, 'entrance').

v., to enter; to bring; to deliver (-ni- specifies delivery location); to enter before someone (with dative

prefix); to let enter (with -ni-); enter into the presence of (with -ši-); to turn round, turn into, transform

(with -da-) (singular [?] reduplication class stem; cf., sun5).”

This would mean that the term Kur, while it is usually defined as mountain, also was a term that meant initiation. Interestingly, Wikipedia offers us this information regarding the term Kur:

“Kur was sometimes the home of the dead ^[4]; it is possible that the flames on escaping gas plumes in parts of the Zagros mountains would have given those mountains a meaning not entirely consistent with the primary meaning of mountains and an abode of a god. The eastern mountains as an abode of the gods, is popular in Ancient Near Eastern mythology.

The underworld Kur is the void space between the primeval sea (Abzu) and the earth (Ma).

Kur is almost identical with "Ki-gal", "Great Land" which is the Underworld (thus the ruler of the Underworld is Erishkigal "Goddess of The Great Land". In later Babylonian myth Kur is possibly an Anunnaki, brother of Ereshkigal, Enki, and Enlil. In the Enuma Elish in Akkadian tablets from the first millennium B.C.E., Kur is part of the retinue of Tiamat, and seems to be a snakelike dragon. In one story the slaying of the great serpent Kur results in the flooding of the earth ^[5]. A first millennium cylinder seal shows a fire-spitting winged dragon--a nude woman between its wings--pulling the chariot of the god who subdued it, another depicts a god riding a dragon, a third a goddess.”

From the above quote we can safely conclude that the term Kur also meant initiation. This information also confirms our findings in our first discussion on the Art of GateWalking. Wikipedia defines Kur as ‘the land of the dead.’ In our first discussion, we learned that the path of the Initiate was a journey that the soul makes at the moment of death, going through the Gate of Men until it reached the Gate of The Gods. Here is a quote from our first article on the Art of GateWalking:

““In his Immortality of the Soul Plutarch writes that “the soul at the moment of death, goes through the same experiences as those who are initiated into the great mysteries. “

With this renewed understanding of the term Kur, we can now gain a deeper appreciation of how this term is used in the Simon Necronomicon. However, we must first consider what is said in the Introduction of the Simon Necronomicon, concerning the word Kur:

“( Note: the original translator had noted the resemblance between the Greek word for Lord, kurios, and the Sumerian word for mountain, kur, and for a type of underworld, chthoic, monster which is also called kur and which refers to the Leviathan of the Old Testament. Also, in this particular conjuration, the word for mountain is shadu - shaddai ?

The Old Serpent KUR is, of course, invoked every day by the Christians: Kyrie Eleison!)”

The term kurious is Greek for Lord, and it is a derivative of the Sumerian term Kur. This would seem to indicate then that the term kurios is a reference to those who were initiated by traveling through the land of the dead, as found in the Greater Mysteries. This also confirms previous information that we have discussed in some of our earlier writing, that being the Mountains of MASSHU, is also a reference to Kur. The Necronomicon of page 159 states:

“The Magick Spell of the Oldest Ones
The Incantation of the Primal Power
The Mountain KUR, the Serpent God
The Mountain MASHU, that of Magick”

If we remember in our Mountain of Masshu series, that Mashu was a way to access the ‘Land of the Living,’ but it was not in the ‘Land of the Living’ evidently. Another reference also supports this, as found in the Simon Necronomicon on pages 162 and 163:

“THEY ARE GHOULS
The spirit of the harlot that hath died in the streets
The spirit of the woman that hath died in childbirth
The spirit of the woman that hath dies, weeping with a babe at the breast
The spirit of an evil man
One that haunteth the streets
Or one that haunteth the bed.

They are Seven!
Seven are they!
Those Seven were born in the Mountains of MASHU”

This also supports our findings that the initiation rites, as mentioned in the Simon Necronomicon, are indeed Qliphotic in nature, and our journey through the Gates, is a journey through the Underworld. Notice what is mentioned in the Theosophy Dictionary:

“The whole underworld was said to be ruled over by Nergal, god of wisdom, and was divided into seven spheres or regions, each under the guardianship of a watcher stationed at a massive portal. The deceased is represented as a traveler who must surrender a portion of his vestments (his sheaths of consciousness) to each one of the seven guardians in turn. ‘

It is now appropriate at this point in our discussion to examine passage in the Simon Necronomicon on page 123:

“THIS is the Book of MARDUK, begotten of our Master ENKI, Lord of Magicians, who did defeat TIAMAT, known as KUR, known as HUWAWA, in magick combat, who defeated the Ancient Ones that the Elders may live and rule the Earth….MARDUK was chosen of the Elders to fight KUR and wrest power from the Great Sleeping Serpent who dwells beneath the Mountains of the Scorpion.”

This passage brings up some interesting questions, as the Simon Necronomicon equates HUWAWA, KUR, and TIAMAT as one in the introduction of the Book of Fifty Names. Let us now examine each to these terms to see how they relate to TIAMAT.

Samuel Noah Kramer, in his work entitled Sumerian Mythology, makes the following observation:

“we may have three versions of the slaying-of-the-dragon myth as current in Sumer in the third millennium B. C. The first involves the Sumerian water-god. 78] Enki, whose closest parallel among the Greek gods is Poseidon. The hero of the second is Ninurta, prototype of the Babylonian god Marduk when playing the role of the "hero of the gods" in the Babylonian "Epic of Creation." In the third it is Inanna, counterpart of the Semitic Ishtar, who plays the leading role. In all three versions, however, the monster to be destroyed is termed Kur. Its exact form and shape are still uncertain, but there are indications that in the first two versions it is conceived as a large serpent which lived in the bottom of the "great below" where the latter came in contact with the primeval waters. For at least according to one of the versions, when Kur is destroyed, these waters rise to the surface of the earth and all cultivation with its resulting vegetation becomes impossible.”

In the above quote Kramer lists three distinct epics where Kur is defined as a serpent-like monstor. It is interesting to note that in all three accounts that are listed above, Enki, Ninurta, and Ishtar, all seemed to gain more power and authority after conquering Kur. However, there is one Sumerian deity that made a conscious choice to go into the land of Kur and remain there as for some benevolent purpose. Examining this ancient epic may increase our understanding of Kur and also give us another perspective as to what Kur really is.

The Sumerian deity that voluntarily explored the depths of Kur is none other than Ereshkigal. The Sumerian Tablet of Ereshkigal gives us quite a bit of information as to the views of the Elder Gods in respects to the Underworld, or Kur. This epic is also known as “How Ereshkigal chose the Underworld.”

The account begins at the dawn of earthly creation, in which Enlil, is attributed as the deity who separated heaven and earth, and because of such, An, the heavenly one, weeps for Ki, or earth. The account then continues as such:

“After Ki, Mother Earth and Queen, was separated by Enlil, Lord Air, Master of Winds, their firstborn, from An, Sky father and King, and the primal Unity of Heaven and Earth was forever lost, in the Heights Above, An wept for Ki, longing for her embrace and kiss. His heartfelt tears met Nammu the Sea. She reached out for the Sky Lord, and Mother and grieving son made for the first time sweet Love. From the mingling of their bodies a Boy and a Girl, Divine Twins were born. Enki and Ereshkigal, they were called.”

The account continues by mentioning the close relationship that Ereshkigal and her twin brother Enki shared. These two twins are often depicted in the account as also having a close relationship with Enlil. It seems that they would all play together as close siblings would, and the account also illustrates the protective nature that Enki and Enlil had for there younger sister Ereshkigal. Notice how the account continues:

“As time went by, Ereshkigal and Enki grew with the blessings of Creation’s dawn. Curious and sometimes wise beyond their years, brother and sister played especially in the Watery Deep of Nammu the Sea. Enki would float here and there, whereas Ereshkigal swam and dived everywhere.

‘Ereshkigal, I can't see you! Come back to the surface, will you? Why do you have to hide within the waters when there is so much to see and do without?’ asked Enki with a sigh.

'A rhetoric question, young brother, without doubt', countered Enlil amusedly from the shore, where he kept watch over the Duku, the Holy Mound of Creation, and Mother Ki, his eyes gleaming with fond laughter. 'Just let Ereshkigal be for a while. At least I could do without her whys and wherefores for a minute or so!'

‘I heard you, Big Brother!' replied Ereshkigal. She came out to the surface riding a wave, and immediately put all her efforts together to raise a mighty wall of splashing water towards the rock where Enlil watched over the Earth and Enki's floating body. Both Enlil and Enki ran for cover. They were going to succeed and escape Ereshkigal’s watery rage... perhaps this time?

The account continues with Enlil sharing some of his thoughts and critics about some of Ereshkigal’s perspectives:

“A fleeting shadow crossed Enlil’s smiling face. ‘I wish I saw things your way, Ereshkigal, just to understand and explain the unexplained. Take Kur, for example, and our dark little brothers and sisters who followed him to the land’s end. It is true Kur and the others looked different from us. But why did they leave the safety of the Duku, the mound of creation, why did they go beyond the Waters of Mother Nammu.'

‘You are worrying about Kur and the Dark Guardians again, Enlil. Why don’t you take them and Kur for what they are? Whatever and wherever they are?’ asked Ereshkigal.”

We can see here that although Ereshkigal was very close to her two borther, Enki and Enlil, she did have a deeper courage to some degree and a greater perspective. Notice how Ereshkigal responds:

“But why should we all be the same, Older Brother? Indeed, I believe we are all very, very different, in Form and Essence, despite some Resemblance in Appearance. I may be very wrong, Enlil, but I feel that if you keep fixing your eyes on but one thing, you’ll miss out what could be the other side of the same thing. Or person and being,' remarked thoughtfully Ereshkigal.”

From Ereshkigal’s words we can see a definite analogy into her psychology, and a need to experience the journey within. Ereshkigal believes that Kur is ‘the other side of the same thing.’ Ereshkigal had insight that her brothers lacked because they were fixed and focused on what appeared in front of them. She lacked fear of what was unknown to her. She was becoming aware of her inner self and in order for her to fully discover and experience her total being, she needed to learn more about Kur. This is a very key point in our discussion and work with the Simon Necronomicon because it implies that Kur, the Land of the Dead, is a place that is within us, as well as outside of us. This would also explain why many of the rituals in the Simon Necronomicon are ‘invocations’ and not ‘evocations.’ Aleister Crowley illustrates the difference between invocation and evocation, in his classic Magic Book 4, page 147:

“To "invoke" is to "call in", just as to "evoke" is to "call forth". This is the essential difference between the two branches of Magick. In invocation, the macrocosm floods the consciousness. In evocation, the magician, having become the macrocosm, creates a microcosm”

Invocation is a more intimate experience and it is sometimes a reference that leads to possession, whereas, evocation is to call upon and command spirits, or ask them for information. Wikipedia offers us this definition of the term evocation:

“In more recent usage, evocation refers to the calling out of lesser spirits (beneath the deific or archangelic level), sometimes conceived of as arising from the self. This sort of evocation is contrasted with invocation, in which spiritual powers are called into the self from a divine source.”

When we compare the two terms, it seems as if the process of “invocation” is a more intimate experience, and can be compared to intercourse. We find the term “invocation” used more often in the Simon Necronomicon. This seems to coincide with Ancient Chaldean and Egyptian thought. Francois Lenormant wrote in his classical work, Chaldean Magic its Origin and  Development:

“When once these possessing demons were expelled from the body, the only guarantee against their return was to obtain by the power of incantations, an opposite possession by a favorable demon. A good spirit must take their place in the body of the man;…This beneficial possession was sometimes desired as the most happy of the supernatural effects of magic,..”

Lenormant later writes on page 146 of the same work:

“the whole edifice of sacred magic, of magic regarded as a holy and legitimate intercourse established by rites of divine origin, between man and the supernatural beings surrounding him on all sides.”

How this comes into play with our initial discussion is quite interesting. We mentioned previously that Kur can sometimes be defined as the Land of the Dead. This desolate place dwells within us and without us, and it is through our ‘intercourse’ with these divine forces, which we summon through invocation, so that the dead part of ourselves can be resurrected back to life. Later, in the epic “How Ereshkigal chose the Underworld,” it states:

“Still, Ereshkigal l felt no fear for the Unknown and a longing embrace it and make her it own. I am not afraid of you. Of any of you’ she said out loud, and she meant it. ‘You are my half brother, Kur, and so are the dark little ones. And somehow I feel there is beauty within you all, even if you and others don’t have eyes to see. But I have. Dive into your Essence, brother, search for the seed that brought you, me and all into being. I also came from that seed. There you will find what unite us, what make us One of a Kind with the One who is All Kinds.’

Later, when find in Sumerian legend that Ereshkigal was noted as being the ruler of the Underworld. Since the above account describes Enki as being the twin-brother of Ereshkigal, it is in our best interests to see how these two (Enki-Ereshkigal) compare, to gain a deeper meaning of her purpose in Kur.

Enki was known in ancient times as the god of water (life-force) and he was known as the god of semen. This would mean that Ereshkigal, being Enki’s twin sister would also represent some of the same aspect, but from a feminine perspective. Ereshkigal represents the menstruating woman. Let us take a deeper look at the process of menstruating to get an idea of how Ereshkigal is linked with this function.

Wikipedia offers us this definition of the word menstruation:

“The word "menstruation" is etymologically related to "moon". The terms "menstruation" and "menses" are derived from the Latin mensis (month), which in turn relates to the Greek mene (moon) and to the roots of the English words month and moon—reflecting the fact that the moon also takes close to 28 days to revolve around the Earth (actually 27.32 days). The synodical lunar month, the period between two new moons (or full moons), is 29.53 days long.

Some authors believe women in traditional societies without nightlighting ovulated with the full moon and menstruated with the new moon.^[37] A few studies in both humans^[38] and animals^[39] have found that artificial light at night does influence the menstrual cycle in humans and the estrus cycle in mice (cycles are more regular in the absence of artificial light at night), though none have demonstrated the synchronization of women's menstrual cycles with the lunar cycle. One author has suggested that sensitivity of women's cycles to nightlighting is caused by nutritional deficiencies of certain vitamins and minerals.^[40]

Other animals' menstrual cycles may be greatly different from lunar cycles: while the average cycle length in orangutans is the same as in humans—28 days^[41]—the average for chimpanzees is 35 days.^[42] Some take this as evidence that the average length of humans' cycle is most likely a coincidence.^”

Sci-Tech Encyclopedia offers us this information on the topic of menstruation:

“Periodic sloughing of the uterine lining in women of reproductive age. Menstrual bleeding indicates the first day of the menstrual cycle, which lasts an average of 27–30 days, although ranges of 21–60 days have been recorded. Menarche, the onset of menstruation, occurs between the ages of 9 and 16. The majority of females begin menstruating at ages 12–14. During the first few years, the duration and intensity of menstrual flow and the total cycle length may be quite variable, but regularity is gradually established. Cessation of menses, or menopause, occurs at an average age of 51, with a range of 42–60 years.

The menstrual cycle consists of cyclic changes in both the ovary and the uterus. These changes are controlled by the interaction of several hormones including follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), which are secreted by the anterior pituitary, and the steroid hormones estrogen and progesterone, which are secreted by follicles in the ovary. At the beginning of the cycle, the follicle is stimulated by FSH. In response, it grows and secretes estrogen. The amount of estrogen secretion increases rapidly near the middle of the cycle. Estrogen, in turn, stimulates growth of the uterine lining (mucosa), which becomes thicker and fills with blood vessels. In midcycle, the rapid increase in estrogen causes a massive surge of LH release and a smaller release of FSH from the pituitary. This surge causes ovulation, which is the release of the ovum from the follicle. After ovulation, the follicle undergoes rapid changes and is then called a corpus luteum, which secretes progesterone in response to LH stimulation. Progesterone and estrogen together cause a further thickening of the uterine mucosa, preparing the uterus for pregnancy. If pregnancy does not occur, the corpus luteum degenerates, the uterine mucosa sloughs off, and the cycle begins again.”

The above reference show that hormones such as, LH and FSH, play a role in the process of menstruation. We discussed these two hormones in our previous article entitled; The Mountains of MASSHU and the Pituitary Gland. It was stated in this article that these two hormones, FSH and LH, were the very elementals that Enki had used to revive Inanna, in the famous epic describing her Descent. From our above definitions we can gather quite a bit of information, which compares with other ancient epics. Menstruation is the process where the body prepares itself for possible impregnation. If the theories are correct, as were cited in the Wikipedia article above, then in the world where only natural light existed, all women experienced their menstrual cycles at the same time. Ovulation (fertile egg is produced) occurred for all women during the full moon, and the discharge occurring, due to the shedding of the lining located in the womb, during the New Moon. The appearance of a New Moon and the effects it seemingly had on the female body in the ancient world, left a deep impression upon the influential minds of Ancient Sumeria. The structure of a woman’s menstrual cycle was the foundation of the Chaldean Covenant. Without the influence of artificial light, all woman in the ancient world experienced ovulation at the same time, which would occur during the full moon. This means that every woman produced an egg on the Full Moon, and at every New Moon every woman experienced bleeding. It is in like manner we find the GateWalker is advised to walk during the full moon, as stated on page 46 of the Simon Necronomicon:

“Second, on the Night of the Walking, which must be the thirteenth night of the moon…,”

Since ovulation occurred during the full moon in ancient times, it also represented the time of spiritual ovulation. Thus, it was the best time to enter the Gate, as it is a fertile time to develop the spiritual embryo discussed in our Mountains of MASSHU series. We also find in the Simon Necronomicon on page 48 the following:

“…differently by the Ritual of descent. This Ritual then will undertake in the fifteenth day after the thirteenth of the month..,”

This above passage speaks about the ritual for entering the realm of Ganzir, which is to be done during the New Moon. This coincides with the time of bleeding time that occurs during a woman’s cycle, and rites of the dead. This brings us back to the realm of Ereshkigal. However, before we continue it is important review some points from our previous discussions. Earlier in our discussion, we spoke of the initiatory rites, as they appear in the Simon Necronomicon, as being Qliphotic in nature. Now we have discussed information about going into the valley of death, as a rite somewhat different than entering the Gates, would this not mean that the GateWalking rituals are not in the Underworld?

Let us first examine the meaning of the term Qliphotic, and then we can determine if the material we have discussed of recent is contradictory to our recent observations.

The term Qliphotic is derived from the term Qliphoth, kliffoth or klippot from the Hebrew קליפות qelippot, meaning "peels", "shells."  It is also interesting to note a “shell” was symbolic of a pregnant woman. Birth in Babylonia and in the Bible: Its Mediterranean Setting by Marten Stol, on page 52 it states:

“The combination sign for “shell” is identical: a body with water in it. The Sumerian word is iskilla; Akkadian isqillatu. The Babylonians saw this shell as a symbol of the pregnant woman…The Greeks and Romans had similar associations; the cowrie shell was named “Cyprian” after the goddess Venus of Cyprus,…Clearly this shell reminded ancient man of the womb.”

From the above passage and the origin of the term Qliphoth, we can see that the term in its original context is not negative, but concerned a rite of passage that proceeded the Judaic era. Qliphoth or shell represented a rite that was based on a feminine principal, or the woman’s menstrual cycle. This would also explain the mother-son symbolism and worship that was so widespread in ancient times, as the son was the initiate who passed through the rites of passage based on the cycles of the womb, whereas the Judaic-Christian rites were based more on the Sun’s movements through the zodiac. This would mean then, that the Judaic Kabalistic description of the Qliphotic system, as being the Tree of Death is entirely based upon perspective. The Qliphotic Kabalistic system clearly was one that preceded modern Judaic Kabalistic aspects, and was demonized by Jewish scholars who viewed the system as one that gave honor to foreign deities. Samuel Noah Kramer in his book entitled; “The Sumerians”, concludes that the afterlife, in Ancient Sumerian thought, was just a dismal reflection of life amongst the Living. It was actually the Babylonians, who divided the afterlife into different aspects. Thus, it is safe to conclude that the Underworld was a vast region, where some parts were indeed evil and other sections were of a benevolent nature. This means that the Qliphotic correspondences and rites were actually the original Kabalistic system. It is extremely important that the Initiate of the Simon Necronomicon pay careful attention to this, as some Judaic Kabalistic correspondences may apply to the working in the Simon Necronomicon, but it should also be kept in mind that many of these correspondences were actually setup in opposition to the ancient rites of Mesopotamia. (An example of this can be seen from the Judaic calendar, which begins directly opposite the Sumerian New Year.) We are now faced with another question; what would then de the purpose of the ritual of descent, or going into Ganzir?

The Simon Necronomicon on page 48 gives us a very good explanation:

“Only when thou hast shown power over the Maskim and the Rabishu mayest thou venture forth to the Land of the IGIGI, and for that reason was this Covenant made,”

We can say that since the Ritual of Descent, is similar to the bleeding that occurs during a woman’s menstruation, that both cycles are indeed a form of purification, which is true. Yet there are still some deeper meanings as to why we are to perform the Ritual of Descent.

The above passage taken from the Simon Necronomicon refers to the result of the Ritual of Descent, as one gaining power over the Maskim and the Rabishu. The Simon Necronomicon in its introductory pages, under the subtitle COMMON SUMERIAN WORDS AND PHRASES IN ENGLISH, gives us the following defines “rabishu’ as having the same definition as “maskim xul.” Maskim Xul is defined as Evil Fiend (Ambusher, Lier-In-Wait). From this definition it seems probable to conclude that upon our journey of self-initiation, as described in the Simon Necronomicon, we must overcome ordeals. The Natural Genesis written by the renowned Gerald Massey in the late 1800’s, gives us the following definition for lier-in-wait:

In Egypt, Taht was the divine doctor, the god of physicians, and his medicine is magic. The Stele of Metternich informs us that Taht has magical words to bewitch, poison and prevent it front doing serious injury, and by his words he bewitched the Apap serpent and all the evil enemies that for ever fight against Ra. The same power is assigned to Horus the healer or saviour of souls, when he is depicted in the act of [p.304] holding the serpent, scorpion, and other typhonian types of evil, helpless and harmless through the power of his charming.*

* 'And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and Scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy.'[38]

Here we can further see how age itself became identified with sorcery, because the aged and the wise were synonymous. In Egyptian, aak the aged man, and aak the mage or magician are identical. The aged were the wiseacres, wizards, and witches. Hence the Hottentot tribes used to leave their old people behind to die the 'devil's death' and be devoured by vultures, because being aged they were all the greater sorcerers, and the awe-stricken tribe were so fearful of witchcraft, that friends dared not keep their own relations alive[39]. So, in Europe, old women were naturally considered to be witches, and were persecuted accordingly. The Amazulus generally regard the grandfathers as the dead [40]; and in Egyptian the akh is the dead, the manes as well as the aged one, or the mage. These three are one by name. Moreover, the Akhekh becomes our hag for the snake and the old witch, Russian hexe, Polish yega, the sorceress or fiend. The Egyptian form of the word as hekau means magic and to charm. The same word signifies a net, snares, and the serpent is the ensnarer as the magnetiser and lier-in-wait.”

We can clearly see that this term “liers-in-wait” is synonymous with serpent, which is also associated with magic. This falls in line with our definition of Kur being the Serpent, and also defined as the Land of the Dead. However, for us to get a deeper meaning of how this “Serpent” and Land of the Dead” corresponds to the GateWalking Initiation Rites, we should now focus our attention upon one of the most misunderstood texts in Ancient Sumerian history-The Enuma Elish.

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The global economy is in a free fall. It is the Tower of Babel knocked over by the hand of God. How did we get here? We are here because we rejected God’s law and God’s order to embrace the Society of Satan. We rejected God’s law over politics, war and economics because we, with Adam and Eve, want to be like God, to determine good and evil for ourselves. We didn’t want God to tell us that our laws were evil, our banking system was evil, preemptive strike warfare is evil, the United Nations and NATO are evil. After all, what does God know? We have our own gods now in Washington DC and New York. They predestine our future for us so God can go back to sleep, except God isn’t asleep.

Just like Adam and Eve in the garden, politicians like Barney Frank and others are evading responsibility for the economic crisis. They blame the markets and not their own “divine” regulations which is the real cause. When you see yourself as a god, how can you fail? There is no right and wrong for a god. They are above that.

The central planners bear no risk for their decisions and poor planning. Alan Greenspan is not being punished for inflating us into these bubbles. Jimmy Carter’s home is not being taken away for forcing the banks to lend to unqualified, credit shaky people because to do so was claimed to be racism. McCain, Obama, Clintons, Bush, Frank, Dodd, Pelosi, Wall Street CEO’s who jumped with multi-million dollar parachutes, none of these are paying the price, yet. Eventually, they will face God’s judgment, either in this life or the one to come.

Genesis 11:4 And they said, Come, let us build us a city and a tower whose top reaches into the sky, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered over the whole earth.

5And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.

6And the Lord said, Behold, they are one people and they have ^[a]all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do, and now nothing they have imagined they can do will be impossible for them.

7Come, let Us go down and there confound (mix up, confuse) their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

8So the Lord scattered them abroad from that place upon the face of the whole earth, and they gave up building the city.

9Therefore the name of it was called Babel--because there the Lord confounded the language of all the earth; and from that place the Lord scattered them abroad upon the face of the whole earth. (The Amplified Bible)

“Men may deny God’s sovereignty, but they cannot stop believing in sovereignty; they merely transfer it to man or the State. Total law and planning, i.e., predestination, is inescapable; denied to God, it is simply transferred to the scientific socialist State, which predestines or totally governs and plans all things. If deity be denied to the God of Scripture, it merely reappears in man or the State. And if the Church ceases proclaiming the Gospel, then religion does not perish; it reappears as politics or economics, and salvation continues to be offered to inescapably religious man.” R. J. Rushdoony, Genesis, p. 103

We live in a society that has become increasingly satanic as the secular State plans our lives for us from cradle to grave. The State seeks to predestine and control every aspect to what foods we are allowed to eat (FDA), communications (FCC and eavesdropped by NSA), education, welfare, taxation, medicine, economy, employment, foreign aid, and much more. This is a manifestation of the Tower of Babel.

America, since Lincoln, has become Babylon. Lincoln ended the old covenant form of federal government that was subject to Biblical law and replaced it with a centralized, socialist government and the end of freedom. Babylon is the society of Satan. Its foundation is sand, man’s fiat word. In fact, as the stock market is proof of, it is quicksand.

Matthew 7: 24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.

25"And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.

26"Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

27"The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall." (The New American Standard Version)

Fractional reserve banking is rooted in witchcraft alchemists who attempted to design a potion that would turn ordinary base metals into gold; in essence, something for nothing. Our banking and economic systems are religious systems, but anti-Christ to the core. It’s foundation is theft. Steal from one group of people, the producers, and give to another group, the politically connected wasters and non-producers.

The national government stole you money and gave it to the bankers. They lied and told you this was to help you. It won’t. it was to help them. You and I have been defrauded. “Although those who hunger for power are small in numbers, it’s easy to entice the masses into believing that government can provide for everyone’s needs and safety.” (Ron Paul, the Freedom Report, Sept. 2008)

The bailout was for losers, the non-producers. Lehman Brothers became a non-producer; so did Wachovia, Indy Mac Bank and AIG. The Federal Reserve Bank and the national government swindled the American people to keep many of the losers afloat. Socialism is a system of losers because Babylon is a false religion that will always experience God’s judgment.

The Tower of Babel is religious. It is the worship of the State or statism. It believes in ad hoc law or rule, created at the moment to fit the situation without the restraint of eternal law. It manifests with a proliferation of imperialistic bureaucracies and bureaucrats. It believes in the divinity of the central planners and that salvation is primarily political. This is true of all tyrannies that receive popular support.

The people want their messiah to fix their problems by a fiat word. They want a divine State because they have no faith in a Creator God and reject His law. The people have looked to kings, Caesars, parliaments, councils, Lenin, Stalin and Hitler to give them political and economic salvation. God decapitalized them all. In the U. S., we have deified Lincoln, John Kennedy and now Barak Obama is offered as a political savior.

What these men and their political orders have in common is a hatred for God’s law and His Kingdom. Their supporters reject personal responsibility. They and their supporters want to eat even if they don’t work. They don’t want to be responsible to save and invest wisely for their retirement, so they choose a political order that promises Social Security, Medicare, and now pay for their drugs as well. Saving for prosperity is difficult. They want to spend themselves to prosperity. Like the alchemists, they want economic magic.

Now that the Tower of Babel is falling on Wall Street, investors are shaken in their faith in Babylon. The same old plan of injecting fiat currency and more debt into the system did not bring the stock market up again as the central planners had envisioned. Instead, it experienced a historic drop. Plus, the majority of Americans did not support the bailout.

It doesn’t matter though because Bush, the Republican, and Democrat leaders coerced Congress to pass it and ignore their constituents back home. Faith in Babylon is dying. We must once and for all reject the idea that the elite few are capable to magically create safety and prosperity for the masses. That is socialism and it has always failed in history.

Yesterday, October 13, 2008, the stock market experienced another historic event; a surge of 936 for the Dow. This follows a pattern similar to that of the Great Depression. There will be ups and downs but essentially, the slave economy of socialism is collapsing just as the Berlin Wall fell. We need to rebuild the economy and all of life upon a foundation of God’s law that prohibits theft, even theft by a majority vote.

This nation prospered because it was founded by Christians who subjected all of their lives, private and public, to God’s law. Andrew Jackson stated that, “The Bible is the rock upon which the Republic rests.” If we are to recapitalize our economy, we must repent of our national sins and return to that rock.

John 19:12As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, "If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar."

13Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.

14Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour And he said to the Jews, "Behold, your King!"

15So they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar." (The New American Version)

God has brought judgment to the Tower of Babel. What will the nations choose as their substitute; the City of God or a new tower? America is about to choose a new president, but the real question is, who will America choose as king and who’s law will America follow, Jesus Christ or the Babylonians? To continue to choose Keynesian, socialist economics is to reject Christ and His claim over us.

Will we choose to repent, return to God’s law and hold our elected officials accountable to God’s law, or will we trust the State to be divine and create ad hoc regulations that will strangle the economy even more so we will reap even greater destruction and judgment?

Bruce Townsend

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I discovered that two of the places to go in Long Island are: Huntington Town Hall and Babylon Town Hall. So, it would be very convenient for people attending the Huntington Fall Festival today to swing by Town Hall and register to vote.

From Newsday:

Nassau and Suffolk County residents who have not registered to vote may do so in person Saturday from noon to 9 p.m. at the county boards of election and 24 other sites across Long Island.

For a list of the locations in each county, call Nassau's Board of Election at 516-571-2411 and Suffolk's at 631-852-4500. The list of sites in Nassau is also available at www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/boe/.

Have a friend who might not be registered? Give them a call. We have one more chance to get like-minded people on board to cast a vote for McKinney/Clemente on November 4th! Every vote for Cynthia McKinney for President is a step closer to our goals, a step closer to building a strong, Green Party that can help turn this country rightside up again.

Let us remember the words of the Jesus, "Seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33) and the words of the apostle Paul, "If you then have been raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God.  Set your affections on things above, not on things of the earth" (Colossians 3:1-2).

Also I want us to focus our attention on our suffering brothers and sisters in Christ who because of their faith in Him are being burned out of their homes, their churches, suffering beatings, and being denied all basic human rights.

I want to give you a couple of links to read articles about our brethren in Orissa, India; and then the VOM Prayer Update for October 6.

It is important that we as Christians remember the most important things in this life is not material things, but Jesus Christ, His love, us loving others, and growing in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but God's word will not pass away.  Faith in the Stock market is fleating and ever changing.  God's eternal Word remains the same as does God Himself.  Remember WHAT IS IMPORTANT.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Related articles:

Not in the Heavens: The Premodern Roots of Jewish Secularism
By David Biale , University of California, Davis
(Vol. 3, April 2008)
Religion Compass

Anthropological Perspectives on Judaism: A Comparative Review
By Marcy Brink-Danan , Brown University
(Vol. 3, July 2008)
Religion Compass

"Babylon: An Ancient Assessment of a Present Reality"

On August 30, 193